


Hugs and Coffee Mugs

by SupernaturalMystery306



Series: SPN Poly Bingo 2017 [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, And Writer is Bad at Tagging, And also each other, Bad Puns, Barista Dean, CasJoDean, Castiel and Jo Like Dean, Castiel is a Good Friend, Dean is a Good Brother, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Jo is a Good Coffeeshop Owner, M/M, Not So Free Hugs, Pre-Poly, Pre-Slash, SPN Poly Bingo 2017, Sam Knows Things™, Sam gets a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 22:09:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10448631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupernaturalMystery306/pseuds/SupernaturalMystery306
Summary: When he walks out of the building, there’s a sign propped up next to a table outside it. There’s some fine print, and there’s one sentence with a big enough font that he can read it from where he’s standing.‘COME GET YOUR HUGS.’ That’s what it says, and Castiel wonders what kind of a person is behind this. Perhaps it’s someone who genuinely cares about others, and wants them to feel loved through free hugs. Or maybe it’s just someone who needs to do this as part of a project, and doesn’t give two shits about people.Wouldn’t hurt to check it out, right?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Setaeru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setaeru/gifts).



> Jimjam I'm such a loser I can't do anything by April 3 so here you go, I wrote you this. <3
> 
> It's crap, by the way, so don't hate me if you don't like this. :|

When he walks out of the building, there’s a sign propped up next to a table outside it. There’s some fine print, and there’s one sentence with a big enough font that he can read it from where he’s standing.

‘COME GET YOUR HUGS.’ That’s what it says, and Castiel wonders what kind of a person is behind this. Perhaps it’s someone who genuinely cares about others, and wants them to feel loved through free hugs. Or maybe it’s just someone who needs to do this as part of a project, and doesn’t give two shits about people.

Wouldn’t hurt to check it out, right? Heck, if it’s the latter kind of person, he could snap at them and tell them to not be an asshole.

He walks over to the table, and reads what he couldn’t earlier.

 _These hugs are not free,  
Here’s the required fee:  
******1** HUG, _ **≤ _1_ ** _MINUTE, **1** DOLLAR  
**1** HUG, **2-5** MINUTES, **5** DOLLARS  
**N** HUGS, **≤ 1** MINUTE, **N** DOLLARS_  
 _******N** HUGS, **2-5** MINUTES, **5N** DOLLARS_  
 _I think that’s how this works,_  
 _If you want more than 5 minutes,_  
 _Sorry, this doesn’t have your expected perks._

What the heck.

He reads the… poem?... again, making sure that he’s actually reading it correctly and not hallucinating.

“What’s the point of this?” he asks when he can’t figure out _why_ this is happening.

The guy—probably his age—sitting at the table shrugs, smiling as if he’s not charging money for _hugs_. “Just something fun, I guess.”

 _Something fun._ That’s how he defines robbing people of their money.

“...Who the hell do you think you are? Expecting money for hugging people?”

“Uh, Dean Winchester.”

Castiel snorts. “I’m not asking you who you are, dipshit. I’m asking you why you thought this was a good idea. Are you really that much of an asshole that you wouldn’t hug people without money as an end result?”

“What? No! I hug people plenty without taking money. I _need_ it right now, and that’s why I’m doing this. Look, if the hugging thing is really bugging you, why don’t you just say so and leave? I don’t like how you’re saying I’m an asshole. A lot of people do things much worse for money—and no, this isn’t a jab at anyone doing sex work, trust me, I don’t mind that, everyone has their own interests—and no one bats an eye. And hey, no one was saying anything, till _you_ walked out swaggering like a pompous brat and just sidled up to me and told me I’m an asshole for asking for money in such a way.”

He blinks. One blink. Two blinks. Another.

He wasn’t expecting it to turn over and this _Dean Winchester_ to lecture _him_. Shouldn’t it have been him who scolded the other guy?

Someone walks around the table, stares at Castiel and smirks, and he frowns. Did people hear Dean? Do they think he (Castiel) is a rude person? Is it true that no one found Dean Winchester’s not-so-free-hugs problematic?

He searches for something to say, trying to grasp onto whatever smart thing his brain supplies, but all he can say is: “Why do you need money?”

“My brother’s birthday is coming up, and I want to buy him a pet, but the place I work at doesn’t pay enough.”

…And now Castiel really does feel like an asshole.

So he says, “How much do you charge for 5 hugs, each for five minutes?”

“That would be twenty-five dollars.”

Castiel takes out his wallet, and empties it over the table. “Here you go.”

Dean Winchester stares at the money, and then at Castiel’s face, before he starts shaking.

Did he… upset him again? _Fuck_. Castiel internally rips out some of his hair.

But the shaking turns out to be laughter. “Dude, no, come here.” And without waiting for him to agree, Dean wraps his arms around him and hugs him.

Just once. For maybe five seconds.

“I’m not going to take pity bucks. I appreciate you wanting to help, but if you really do want to give me money so badly, then come to Jo’s Coffee at five on Wednesdays and leave me tips.”

And he continues to laugh as Castiel stares at him, dumbfounded. So much for helping others. He huffs, nods, and says, “Sure. Fine. Definitely. I’m _totally_ going out of my way to do that.”

He can hear Dean’s laughter in his ears even as he moves far away from him, and it irks him to not be taken seriously.

**-x-**

He ends up going to Jo’s Coffee on the next Wednesday that rolls around. If he reaches at 5 o’clock, that’s just a coincidence.

Dean, of course, notices him right away as he sits at a table, and Castiel winces when he hears, “Hey Cas, you’re actually here! Well, better latte than never!”

The blonde woman at the counter groans, and waves at Castiel, “Hello, I’m Jo and this is my shop. I hope you enjoy your time here. Dumb baristas and their puns aside.”

It turns out to be a good evening, and a good decision on his part to visit the coffeehouse.

**-x-**

That’s not the only time he goes to the shop, and pretty soon he stops going to Starbucks altogether. Jo’s Coffee becomes his go-to place for when he wants to relax, or rant about classes. Jo, a business studies graduate from the same college, listens to him, and they end up being compatible enough as friends that he can be seen in the shop even when it’s not Dean’s shift.

It’s one such day, when Dean has an off, that Castiel asks Jo something that had been bothering him. “The first time Dean and I met was when he was giving out not-free-hugs, and he said he wanted to earn money in order to buy his brother a pet. Why doesn’t he ask his parents for money? Or anyone else?”

Jo tilts her head, probably contemplating whether to divulge information or not, and Castiel seizes the opportunity to continue, “I just don’t see why he has to work so hard. Isn’t there someone to help him with all of this?”

“Castiel, are you offering?”

Whoops, she saw through his act.

“Look, I just—I just feel really bad thinking that he has to shoulder all of this himself when people are clearly willing to help him.”

Jo smirks, “I know. He’s just that kind of guy. And he’s cared for Sam—that’s his brother—for so long that he now doesn’t want to let anyone else into their space. I even offered to split the costs for the dog—Sam loves dogs—but Dean refused, saying he’ll earn the required amount of money himself.”

Castiel nods. From what he’s seen, it’s obvious that Dean doesn’t like to depend on others.

“When is Sam’s birthday? Just curious.”

“It’s the second of May.”

“And has he asked you for more shifts?”

“From what I know, he’s been staging things like that hug-giving, although not that. He fears that he’ll upset other people.” she winks at him, and he inwardly curses Dean for telling her.

“Jo, uh, correct me if I’m wrong, but… Are you and Dean....?”

He trails off, and Jo grins, shark-like, “Are I and Dean what?”

“...You _know_ what. What’s your relationship with him?”

“Are you curious for some reasons other than curiosity, Cas? You don’t mind if I call you Cas, do you? It’s not just something only _Dean’s_ allowed to do?”

And neither of them knows it, but that evening they end up snogging each other almost twenty times, and Castiel leaves with a piece of paper with Jo’s number in his pocket, and a promise for a date.

It goes unsaid that both of them are hopelessly enamoured by one Dean Winchester, who’s blissfully unaware of their crushes.

**-x-**

Dean, for all his charm and pretty face, is an absolute _idiot_ with absolutely _horrendous_ puns when he tries to be funny.

He takes to writing stupid sentences on Castiel’s cups, and Jo cackles like hell every time she catches him hiding the cup in his bag and not disposing of it.

Whatever. It’s not like it’s his fault that he wants to cherish the memories of all the dumb things Dean says to him.

‘ _Don’t drink it before it’s cool, I can’t be friends with a hipster._ ’

‘ _It’s just been ground, but don’t ascend to heaven after consuming this coffee._ ’

How did he even come up with those?

Jo finds it pretty cute, and she doesn’t mind that Castiel—her sort of boyfriend, sort of friend with benefits—hoards the trinkets that their mutual interest gives him.

**-x-**

April comes by, and Jo proposes changes in the menu.

Dean doesn’t like it, nor do the few other employees. They’re all students, and with exams coming up, none of them wants to focus on the job.

It leaves Jo pissed at all of them, and ranting to Castiel one evening.

“I get that they’re all worried, but _seriously_ , it’s just the menu! It’s not like I expect them to work harder or something!”

Castiel, being the diligent person he is, already studied for his exams, and he says so.

“Well, if everyone was like you, then maybe we wouldn’t have any problems.” she smiles at him, conveying that her annoyance was not directed at him.

He smiles back, then takes the leap. “What I meant was, I could help you redesign the menu, _and_ take a few shifts if that would take the load off of the others. I have enough time on hand.”

Jo stares at him for a whole minute, before she throws herself at him and peppers his whole face with sloppy kisses. When one lands on his eye, he draws the line, and pushes her back.

“That’s what friends are for.”

“Mhmm, friends.”

They end up on the floor, talking about who-cares-what, giggling like middle-schoolers, occasionally snorting out water through their noses, because when you’re happy, everything feels awesome.

**-x-**

It’s the last day of April.

Their exams are over, and when Castiel visits the shop, he doesn’t really expect to see many people.

Except, there are more people than usual, and there’s Jo, and there’s a stranger talking to her.

He wonders if it’s Sam. before dispelling the thought. Why would Sam Winchester be here without Dean?

It does turn out to be Sam, and when Jo introduces them, Sam ends up saying, “So _you’re_ Dean’s boyfriend?”

Castiel sputters, and Jo cuts in, “How rude, Sam, Cas is _my_ boyfriend.”

Sam, of course, doesn’t buy it, and prods, “So you’re in a three-way relationship.”

That ends up making Castiel bright red for the rest of the evening, and Jo doesn’t pass up any opportunity to make fun of him.

Damn her.

Sam leaves eventually, saying he needs to get back to Dean’s apartment, and then Castiel asks Jo about the situation.

“Has Dean been able to get enough money?”

“I don’t think so. He sounded pretty depressed over the phone when he called earlier to let me know about Sam’s arrival.”

Castiel nods his head. “We can only hope for tomorrow, right?”

They can. After all, May 1 is supposed to be the day when they start going by the new menu. If enough people come, then they can probably get enough money, and maybe Jo can slip some into Dean’s payment cheques.

She’s been keeping all his money from the past few months at his request, and surely he wouldn’t notice if he has a little extra.

**-x-**

That doesn’t happen.

Well, they do get a whole lot of people, and everyone leaves satisfied, and Jo tries to give Dean a little extra money.

 _Tries_.

Dean does notice that he’s got more money than he should, and then scolds them for trying to help.

They scream, they shout, they curse at each other, and they all go separate ways, mad at everyone, but mostly themselves.

Then it’s Sam’s birthday, and he forces them to sit at the same table and celebrate with him.

It’s after the shop has closed for the night, and they have a small, cute cake, courtesy of Dean’s baking, and Sam is a hundred percent interested in making sure they all get along.

“Dean, if I have to put up with another John-and-Mary tonight, then I _will_ be mad, and I _will_ not talk to you for a whole year.”

Castiel asks what ‘John-and-Mary’ is, and the brothers give wry smirks. Oh well.

“So, Sam, what’s been up?” Jo asks, effectively catching the younger brother’s attention, and elbows Castiel.

Right. He needs to make conversation with Dean. About what, though?

Dean is of similar thought, and turns away. Then, miraculously, he turns back to Cas.

“Why do you want to help me so badly?”

“What do you mean?” Castiel asks, because surely he hasn’t done anything good. It’s not like he went out of his way to help Dean with anything.

“The—this—this shop and Jo and Sam and—and _everything_. How the heck did you end up becoming my friend?”

Castiel ponders over the question, and then decides to be truthful.

“I found you intriguing. And then I ended up falling in love with you.”

Dean’s just staring at him, and now they’re both silent, and—

“Wow, Dean, did you know? Sam has a girlfriend, who has the _cutest_ dog! Can you believe, now _Sam_ has a _dog_.”

Dean’s open-mouthed. Eventually, he says, “Jo, you _ass_.”

When Sam finds out that Dean spent five months saving money to buy him a dog, he’s more amused than annoyed. “Seriously? You couldn’t even ask me if I wanted one?”

“Why would I need to?” Dean says defensively, “You’ve been begging for one since you were smaller than _this_.” In Castiel’s opinion, someone of the height Dean’s indicating (is that 3 centimetres?) shouldn’t be capable of asking for a dog, but he keeps it to himself.

Then Sam proceeds to tell his brother all about Jessica Moore and her dog, and they end up talking well into the night. Then they notice the time, and Dean drags Sam out, saying they need to celebrate alone as well. Sam doesn’t seem to be too excited, and Castiel suspects that Dean probably is to Sam what Gabriel is to him.

Before Dean leaves, he turns to him and Jo, and says, “You know, I—I love you a whole latte more. Both of you.”

Castiel smirks, “Better latte than never, I guess.”

It’s the same lame pun Dean first used, and clearly, all relevant parties remember it, if the laughter-groans are any indication.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SPN Coldest Hits (Sam Gets a Dog, Not-so-free-hugs, Free Space/Coffee Shop AU) and also the Poly Bingo (Coffee Shop AU) and also The Twxnkdean and also Self Satisfaction. Hope you enjoyed. :)
> 
> [Tumblr](http://evenifidie.tumblr.com).
> 
> p.s i'm sorry for the formatting fuck-up T_T


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